


What Makes Life Beautiful

by mggislife2789



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Black Character(s), F/M, Nervousness, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2019-01-16 13:14:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12343386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mggislife2789/pseuds/mggislife2789
Summary: Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original stories. This is only for fun. It's where my brain goes after the credits roll. No copyright intended. Better safe than sorry. ;)





	What Makes Life Beautiful

As a kid, you’d always been made fun of for the color of your skin - a beautiful, deep, rich brown; in the new millennia, it was astounding that it still happened, but here you were, in the year 2017, wondering whether or not you should approach the beautiful man that always came into the library. In passing, you’d heard that his name was Spencer Reid and that he worked for the government, but that was all you knew about him. 

You wanted to know more.

Not only was he tall and handsome; he seemed sweet, his inherent nervousness endearing and reminding you of yourself. On the surface, it seemed like you would get along, so why was skin color keeping you from approaching him. Your skin was beautiful; fuck anyone who said otherwise. If Spencer didn’t like you because of the color of your skin, then obviously he wasn’t worth your time. However, the possibility was always there and that possibility hurt to think about, so you were pretty sure that that’s what was keeping you from approaching him, especially given your past of being looked down upon by exes and employers alike. 

When he turned from the bookshelf, a stack of books in his hand, you smiled at him. Raising your hand, you gave him a wave and watched as he blushed. “Here goes nothing,” you said to yourself. “Hi. My name is Y/N Y/L/N. I see you here a lot and I wanted to introduce myself.”

Spencer shuffled awkwardly, balancing his books in one hand so he could give you a small wave. From the brief interactions you’d seen him have, he was uncomfortable with physical contact with people he didn’t know, so you didn’t extend your hand. “My name is Spencer. Dr. Spencer Reid. Do you work here? Or do you just happen to love old books as much as I do?”

“The latter,” you laughed. “I’ve always enjoyed losing myself in another world.” His soft smile made you melt. “Especially the classics. Most of them make me glad I wasn’t born then actually. What about you?”

Immediately, Spencer started to regal you with his favorite books and why he loved them. “War and Peace, The Scarlet Letter, and The Count of Monte Cristo are probably my favorites. I’ve read them 100s of times.”

“100s?” You asked.

Spencer shrugged. “I can read 20,000 words per minute, so yea, 100s. And when it comes to more modern books, I could talk about Harry Potter all day.”

He was cute, a reader, and loved the classics and Harry Potter? Talk about dream man? There was still a bit of nervousness tinging your voice, but you wanted to get to know him more. “Umm…Spencer, I know it might be a bit forward because I just introduced myself, but would you maybe want grab a cup of coffee or go out to dinner sometime?”

There was a moment of silence that had your breath hitching in your throat, but then he answered. “I’d love to. Actually, I ate lunch pretty early today. Would you want to grab something now?”

Eagerly, you nodded and turned back to grab your bag, bringing your lone book up to the counter to check out. “I’m actually reading To Kill a Mockingbird Again. It’s one of my favorites. I’m assuming you’ve read it?”

“Yes. It’s a brilliant look at a child awakening to the ideas of good and evil in the world,” he replied. Once you’d checked out the book again, you turned toward the door with Spencer and brushed up against him. Hesitantly, his hand reached down to grab yours, the contrast between your skin tones stark and beautiful. 

Sure, you’d had some bad experiences in the past, but when it came down to it, you were convinced there was more good people than bad in the world - the bad just happened to get more “air time” so to speak. “I’m glad I introduced myself,” you said, feeling the nervousness melt away. 

Spencer smiled as you turned the corner and dropped his books off in his car. “I am too. I’ve seen you here before, and I wanted to introduce myself, I’m just…an inherently nervous person, so I’m glad you made the first move.”

No matter what anyone said, no matter what your past experiences might’ve dictated, no matter what you were bombarded with on a daily basis, you truly believed that differences, no matter how big or how small, how real or perceived, are what made life beautiful.


End file.
